USCCB - Cultural Diversity in the Church | Asian-Pacific Island Affairs

Welcome

Dear brothers and sisters: In a spirit of heartfelt pastoral concern for the Asian and Pacific people in our midst, we Catholic bishops of the United States write this statement to all Catholics and especially to our Asian and Pacific brothers and sisters to recognize and affirm with loving assurance their presence and prominence in the Lord's house. We pray that this pastoral statement will facilitate a fuller appreciation of their communities in our local churches and will encourage Asian and Pacific Catholics to take on active leadership roles in every level of church life.

A Message from Bishop Calvo

Welcome to the webpage for the Subcommittee on Asian and Pacific Island Affairs. We thank you for visiting us and for your interest in Asian and Pacific Islanders.

The Subcommittee is pleased to announce that this year, 2011, we will be observing the 10th anniversary of the promulgation of the USCCB pastoral statement, Asian and Pacific Presence: Harmony in Faith. This momentous occasion is being celebrated at both the national and local levels, beginning with a nationwide study on Catholic ministry to Asian and Pacific Islanders and continuing with both parish-sponsored events around the country and the development of a leadership formation program guide and other educational materials.

A Message from the Assistant Director

With great pleasure, I welcome you to the website of the Subcommittee on Asian and Pacific Island Affairs. We are continuing to build this website so that it can be a resource to learn more about the beauty and richness of the Asian and Pacific Islander communities.

The number of Asian and Pacific Island communities connected with the Secretariat of Cultural Diversity in the Church has grown exponentially from nine in 1999 to twenty-five in 2011. Among the Asian communities are the Bangali, Burmese, Cambodian, Chinese, Filipino, Hmong, Indian (Roman), Indian (Syro-Malabar), Indian (Syro-Malankara), Indonesian, Japanese, Kmhmu, Korean, Laotian, Montagnard, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, Thai, and Vietnamese peoples. The Pacific Island communities include the Chamorro, Hawaiian, Fijian, Samoan, Tongan, and Micronesian peoples.
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Bishops'Statement: Harmony in Faith

Diocese of San Bernardino celebrates Migration Day
Here are Photos from National Migration Mass Jan. 17, 2010 at St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Church, Yucaipa. View Gallery

Asian Unity Day in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee

Asian and Pacific Presence: Harmony in Faith

Inspired by the pastoral letter of the same name, Asian and Pacific Presence: Harmony in Faith celebrates a people rich in culture, art and history who are putting their mark on American society and bringing a richness to the Catholic church.

Asian and Pacific Presence: Harmony in Faith is available as a print edition and may be ordered by calling (800) 235-8722. Ask for publication number 5-449 or Order Online For a DVD copy, call 1-800-233-4629.

The Subcommittee Mandate

The subcommittee on Asian and Pacific Island Affairs is under the direction of and assists the Committee on Cultural Diversity within the Church by working directly with the standing committee and collaboratively with other USCCB committees to affirm the gifts and contributions of Asian and Pacific Island Catholics and to provide more opportunities for Asian and Pacific Island Catholics to engage in the life of the Church and help shape its evangelizing mission.

This mandate includes the following areas of responsibility:

The subcommittee is directly responsible for outreach to the Asian and Pacific Island Catholic communities and to work closely with the subcommittee on Pastoral Care of Migrants and Refugees.